With parties playing politics, people seek divine help for kids

While Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik was busy with political activities on Saturday, people in Malkangiri district were praying for divine intervention to save their children from the rapidly spreading Japanese encephalitis (JE).

The district has lost 65 children in the past 44 days, including three kids who died on Saturday.

“The Odisha government has completely failed to check Japanese encephalitis in Malkangiri because of its deliberate unpreparedness and lackadaisical approach to contain the disease,” Padia resident and social activist Subrat Biswal said. “People are left with no other option than praying for divine intervention to save their children,” he said.

Mr Biswal said the district headquarters hospital does not even have the minimum infrastructure needed to treat JE-affected kids.

Congress leader Pradeep Majhi, who has been camping in Malkangiri for over a month now, said people have lost hope in Odisha’s healthcare system. “People in Malkangiri have lost faith in the state administration’s ability to save their children from Japanese encephalitis. As they don’t get healthcare interventions, they have left their children to the mercy of fate. We are battling a sorry state of healthcare facilities here,” Mr Majhi said.

The situation in the district got worse owing to political turmoil after a fire at Bhubaneswar’s SUM Hospital on October 17 killed 26 people.

Sources said healthcare service in Malkangiri is in complete disarray after the government lost focus due to intense pressure from the Opposition for resignation of Mr Patnaik and health minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, who the Opposition held responsible for the hospital fire.

“We have lost 65 kids due to criminal negligence of the state government. I’m afraid more children might fall victim to the killer vector-borne disease if the government does not wake up to address the disaster with effective healthcare interventions,” Mr Majhi said.